Does any one else have a really hard time convincing their husbands to eat a salad as an entire meal? My husband loves veggies and will happily eat a side salad. However, it’s hard to convince him that a salad will be filling enough for lunch.

I don’t entirely blame him. Vegetarian salads have a bad rep. I have definitely been to restaurants or events where the only Vegetarian option was a sad little salad that was mostly lettuce, not filling, bland, extremely overpriced, and made me overall miserable. 🙁

But, with the right flavors, proper plant based protein and additional colorful veggies, you can make an absolutely delicious and extremely filling Vegetarian salad! If you don’t believe me, try this Avocado & Chickpea Salad recipe out!

It’s topped off with a creamy Chipotle sauce that adds tons of flavor to the chopped veggies. Plus, additional Mexcian spices bring life to the chickpeas. The protein from the chickpeas and the healthy fat from the avocado makes this salad hearty and filling!

I did have a backup rice option for my husband in case this salad didn’t work out for him, but I am thrilled to say that he did not need it! He was totally full and he absolutely loved this salad. “Can you make this again?” Music to my ears. 🙂

If you love the flavors in this recipe, check out my Chipotle Chickpea Taco recipe here! It has similar flavors and is just as delicious!

Avocado & Chickpea Salad with Creamy Chipotle Sauce

Recipe by Chaitra’s CreationsCuisine: Mexican

Servings

2

servings

Prep Time

10

minutes

Cooking Time

5

minutes

Calories per Serving

600

kcal

A filling and flavorful salad consisting of avocados, chickpeas, Mexican spices, and a creamy Chipotle sauce

Ingredients

• Chickpea Mixture

• 1 cup cooked chickpeas (1/3 cup dry chickpeas)

• 1 tbsp olive oil

• 2 cloves garlic (minced/crushed)

• 1/4 tsp garlic powder

• 1/2 tsp paprika

• 1 tsp cumin powder

• 1 tbsp taco seasoning

• Salt to taste

• Salad

• 1/2 medium tomato (finely chopped)

• 1/4 small red onion (finely diced)

• 1/2 small lime

• 4 cups Romaine lettuce (shredded)
  

• 1 medium avocado (finely chopped)

• 1/2 cup shredded Mexican cheese

• Creamy Chipotle Sauce

• 4 tbsp sour cream

• 4 tbsp Chipotle sauce

Instructions

• Spice up the Chickpeas
• Cook 1/3 dry cup of chickpeas in an Instant Pot or Pressure Cooker to get 1 cup of cooked chickpeas (see “Notes” section below for cooking instructions). Alternatively, you can use a 8 oz can ( 1 cup) of cooked chickpeas.
• Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a sauté pan at a medium flame.
• Add 2 cloves garlic (minced/ crushed) and sauté till aromatic.
• Then, add in 1 cup cooked chickpeas.
• Sprinkle in 1/4 tsp garlic powder, 1/2 tsp paprika, 1 tsp cumin powder, 1 tbsp taco seasoning, and salt to taste. Mix well and sauté for a few minutes. Then, take off flame and keep aside.
• Assemble Salad
• Cover the base of two deep bowls with shredded Romaine lettuce.
• Divide the chickpea mixture in half and place in the middle of each salad bowl.
• Finely chop an avocado into bite sized cubes. Add avocado cubes to one side of each salad.
• In a small bowl, mix 1/2 medium tomato (finely chopped), 1/4 small red onion (finely diced), and the juice from 1/2 a lime. Add this mixture to the other side of each salad.
• Sprinkle shredded Mexican cheese next to the tomato and onion mixture.
• In a small bowl, combine 4 tbsp of sour cream with 4 tbsp of Chipotle sauce. Mix well.
• Drizzle creamy chipotle sauce over each salad. Squeeze a bit more lemon juice on top, if you so desire.
• Mix everything up and enjoy your delicious salad! 🙂

Notes

• If you are cooking your chickpeas, I would suggest you soak them overnight in enough water to completely cover them. If cooking in a pressure cooker, cook at medium heat for 5 whistles. If cooking in an Instant Pot, cook soaked chickpeas for 10-15 min or dry chickpeas for 35-40 min.
• Instead of sour cream, you could mix Chipotle hot sauce with Mayo or thick Yogurt to get a similar creamy Chipotle sauce.
• This is a fun recipe that I came up with. I hope you love it!
• Vegan Option: Omit cheese and sour cream or use Dairy Free options for a Vegan salad!

Did you make this recipe?

I hope you all try this recipe out! I would love to see your own adventures in cooking! Please take a pic and share them with me on Instagram/Facebook @chaitrascreations.